20 And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.
21 And the children of Israel that were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness: and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with loud instruments to the LORD. [1] [2]
22 And Hezekiah encouraged all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the LORD: and they ate throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings, and making confession to the LORD God of their fathers. [3]
23 And the whole assembly took counsel to keep other seven days: and they kept other seven days with gladness.
24 For Hezekiah king of Judah gave to the congregation a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep; and the princes gave to the congregation a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep: and a great number of priests sanctified themselves. [4] [5]
25 And all the congregation of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the congregation that came out of Israel, and the strangers that came from the land of Israel, and that dwelt in Judah, rejoiced.
26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was not the like in Jerusalem.
27 Then the priests the Levites arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer ascended to his holy dwelling place, even to heaven. [6]
CHAP. 31.
1 Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and broke the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities. [7] [8] [9]
2 And Hezekiah appointed the courses of the priests and the Levites after their courses, every man according to his service, the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister, and to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camp of the LORD.
3 He appointed also the king’s portion of his substance for the burnt offerings, that is, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the sabbaths, and for the new moons, and for the set feasts, as it is written in the law of the LORD.
4 Moreover he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the LORD.
5 And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of grain, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things they brought in abundantly. [10] [11]
6 And the children of Israel and Judah, that dwelt in the cities of Judah, they also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of holy things which were consecrated to the LORD their God, and laid them by heaps. [12]
7 In the third month they began to lay the foundation of the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month.
8 And when Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed the LORD, and his people Israel.
9 Then Hezekiah questioned with the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.
10 And Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok answered him, and said, Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the LORD, we have had enough to eat, and have left plenty: for the LORD hath blessed his people; and that which is left is this great abundance.
11 Then Hezekiah commanded to prepare chambers in the house of the LORD; and they prepared them, [13]
12 And brought in the offerings and the tithes and the dedicated things faithfully: over which Cononiah the Levite was ruler, and Shimei his brother was the next.
13 And Jehiel, and Azaziah, and Nahath, and Asahel, and Jerimoth, and Jozabad, and Eliel, and Ismachiah, and Mahath, and Benaiah, were overseers under the hand of Cononiah and Shimei his brother, at the commandment of Hezekiah the king, and Azariah the ruler of the house of God. [14]
14 And Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the porter toward the east, was over the freewill offerings of God, to distribute the oblations of the LORD, and the most holy things.
15 And under him were Eden, and Miniamin, and Jeshua, and Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, in the cities of the priests, in their set office, to give to their brethren by courses, as well to the great as to the small: [15] [16]
16 Besides their genealogy of males, from three years old and upward, even to every one that entereth into the house of the LORD, his daily portion for their service in their charges according to their courses;
17 Both to the genealogy of the priests by the house of their fathers, and the Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their charges by their courses;
18 And to the genealogy of all their little ones, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, through all the congregation: for in their set office they sanctified themselves in holiness: [17]
19 Also of the sons of Aaron the priests, who were in the fields of the common lands of their cities, in every single city, the men that were mentioned by name, to give portions to all the males among the priests, and to all that were reckoned by genealogies among the Levites.
20 And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and performed that which was good and right and truth before the LORD his God.
21 And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.
CHAP. 32.
1 After these things, and their establishment, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fortified cities, and thought to win them for himself. [18]
2 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and that he purposed to fight against Jerusalem, [19]
3 He took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which were outside the city: and they helped him.
4 So there was gathered many people together, who stopped all the fountains, and the brook that ran through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water? [20]
5 Also he strengthened himself, and built up all the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the towers, and another wall without, and repaired Millo in the city of David, and made weapons and shields in abundance. [21]
6 And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the street of the gate of the city, and encouraged them, saying, [22]
7 Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there are more with us than with him:
8 With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. [23]
9 After this Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem, (but he himself laid siege against Lachish, and all his power with him,) to Hezekiah king of Judah, and to all Judah that were at Jerusalem, saying, [24]
10 Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria, On what do ye trust, that ye abide in the siege in Jerusalem? [25]
11 Doth not Hezekiah persuade you to give over yourselves to
- ↑ present: Heb. found
- ↑ loud...: Heb. instruments of strength
- ↑ comfortably...: Heb. to the heart of all
- ↑ did give: Heb. lifted up, or, offered
- ↑ gave: Heb. lifted up, or, offered
- ↑ his holy...: Heb. the habitation of his holiness
- ↑ present: Heb. found
- ↑ images: Heb. statues
- ↑ until...: Heb. until to make an end
- ↑ came...: Heb. brake forth
- ↑ honey: or, dates
- ↑ by heaps: Heb. heaps, heaps
- ↑ chambers: or, storehouses
- ↑ under...: Heb. at the hand
- ↑ next...: Heb. at his hand
- ↑ set...: or, trust
- ↑ set...: or, trust
- ↑ to win...: Heb. to break them up
- ↑ he was...: Heb. his face was to war
- ↑ ran: Heb. overflowed
- ↑ darts: or, swords, or, weapons
- ↑ spake...: Heb. he spoke to their heart
- ↑ rested...: Heb. leaned
- ↑ power: Heb. dominion
- ↑ siege: or, strong hold
